Paul writes, “When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:11-14).   I have a great struggle with a particular sin that rears up every so often. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but it still strikes me from time to time.   The fear of man.   For 35 years I’ve worked in media doing radio and TV programs, writing articles and doing public speaking. Very often I have been the center of attention. The response of the audience feeds me, it even electrifies me. But, when things go bad I feel terrible. Out of nervousness I sometimes don’t do the things that I should be doing. I’m afraid of what people might think.   In today’s passage we see Peter and Barnabas and certain others falling to the fear of man. They cared about what their contemporary countrymen thought of them. Fear of man reared its ugly head to such a degree that the truth of the Gospel was compromised. If not for the apostle Paul confronting Peter, who knows what may have happened?   Being mindful of what others think of us isn’t always a bad thing. We don’t want to disappoint others, especially the ones we love. But, when our fear causes us to shrink back from declaring the Gospel or compromising the truth, then we can know we are in trouble.   How does the fear of man strike you?   Memory Verse   “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25).   Application   Who is there, whom you love, that you are afraid of sharing the Gospel with? What keeps you from expressing the love of Christ to them? Pray and ask the Lord to free you from the fear of man. Then make it a purpose to look for the right opportunity to share the truth with that person that you love.

“I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).   “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (I Corinthians 13:3).   Have you ever noticed that some Christians treat Christianity like a philosophy or set of religious teachings? For such people, Christianity is something akin to a cultural expression instead of a love relationship with the Lord.   Did that turn your head? Love relationship? Yes. Essentially, Christianity is to be expressed as a love relationship with the Lord.   The apostle Paul taught many important principles of the faith. He has given us unique insights into the Old Testament and the identity of Jesus Christ. But, for Paul, these principles and practices were almost secondary. They were an expression of something greater, something far greater.   Paul said he received the Gospel as a revelation rather than something he was taught. This means that he heard from Jesus directly. The other 11 apostles also heard from Jesus directly. But they heard from him while he lived on the earth. Paul heard from Jesus after Jesus was raised and ascended to heaven. And for all that Paul learned from Jesus, he emphasized in many of his writings the importance of loving the Lord. Paul said that without love all these things he taught would amount to nothing. Love is the key to the Christian life. Love for the Lord and love for others in the name of the Lord.   Take comfort in the Gospel that you have received. For Paul received it from Christ and you have been taught it by those before you, going back to that revelation. The Gospel you believe is of divine source. And it is from that divine source that we also have the power to love.   Memory Verse   “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).   Application   Do you follow the teachings of a famous pastor or that of Jesus? The teachings of your pastors is important, but like the scripture they should point us directly to Jesus. Who has your attention?

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7)   Yesterday, I watched a 3-minute video of a preacher in Africa who, as he walked around the stage, told his parishioners that he was the, “Gate of the sheep.” As he walked he would say, “My sheep know my voice. My sheep come!” Then members of the congregation left their seats, got down on all fours, and followed the preacher around wherever he walked, following him like sheep. This went on for some time and those on their hands and knees grew until dozens followed him around the stage on all fours.   This is not Christianity. This is slavery.   Why is it that some people are deceived so easily and trapped in an unbiblical situation? Even the apostle Paul was dumbfounded by such things. Paul looked at such deceivers and declared, “There are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”   What do you believe?   It is easy to fall into spiritual deception. One might think that they are hardend against deception, but be very careful about that attitude. There are many churches that operate under such deceptions, though perhaps not as dignity-damaging as the one I’ve just described. Still, deception is deception. Jesus gave us the tools we need, through the Holy Spirit, to defend against such deception. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31).   What does it mean to abide? The Greek word used for abide literally means to live under or cherish. This means that our whole lives and attention should be given over to obeying God’s word. To know it, cherish it like an honored possession, and to obey it. Without this attitude it can be easy to fall into deception, like those poor souls who follow around the false minister on all fours, sacrificing their souls to say nothing of their dignity. Like the Galatians who became trapped in a system of legalism rather than in obedience and faith in Christ.   Memory Verse   “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).   Application   Take a spiritual inventory of your life. What kinds of passages of scripture attract you so that you want to imitate or obey it? Do other believers or leaders think what you hold to is strange? Listen to their input and examine how you live out what you believe and look for where changes might be needed.

Walking In Darkness   “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:11-12).   Here is a simple command of scripture. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.” Now, for some of us it may seem that this is command simply not to commit sin. But, really, it’s a bit more than that. Darkness is more than just sinning. It is a way of living that takes no thought of God into account. It is to dwell in ungodliness and not care about the consequences. John discusses, Walk in darkness” (I John 1:6). Peter says we are called, “Out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). Elsewhere Paul calls us, “Children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness” (I Thessalonians 5:5). Paul also says in Colossians 1:13 that God, “Has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son.” Notice how living in the light and the darkness are spoken of as kingdoms and domains.   What does it mean to walk in darkness? It means to conduct our lives without any thought toward God. It is to let sin have its complete reign over you. God is not the king for those who walk in darkness; Satan is. We may think that we are in control of our own lives. But the spiritual reality is that when we live in sin we are submitting ourselves to Satan’s ways, not God’s.   What kingdom do you walk in? It’s one thing to commit a sin and repent for it. In such cases, as we all experience, we continue to walk in the light because repentance is the difference between light and darkness. But for the person who continually sins, who doesn’t care about what he is doing, he is living in darkness. Only Jesus can take us from darkness to light. Just as in the beginning the world was in darkness and God created the light, so too, those who live in darkness can be brought out of that way of living into the light of God’s love.   Memory Verse   “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).   Application   Are you struggling with a sin that you need to address? Walking in sin is to walk in darkness. What must you do to abandon a life of sin and walk in the light?

“Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” -1 Samuel 17:28a My 13 year old son recently told me that he is hoping to be a worship pastor when he grows up. I’m embarrassed to say that the first thought that went through my mind was “oh no!” In a nano-second I thought of having to deal with the continuous drip of criticism and expectations that a pastor has to deal with. In that same nano-second I did a mental calculation of the significantly lower income he would earn than if he were to head into a STEM-related career that he is also naturally gifted in. And then I recovered and smiled, “that’s great!” It’s amazing how subtle and nefarious the temptation to control our children’s lives is. It’s an accumulation of small choices: when we put our kids in pre-K, where we send them to school, what activities we encourage our kids to do, what activities we say no to. What we reward, what we punish. Every moment it seems we make choices that nudge our kids. Every morning we would do well to remind ourselves of Hannah’s words of Samuel: as long as my children live, they are lent to the Lord. If we get our hearts fully around that truth, we actually will realize that, in reality, our kids are never ours to begin with. They belong to God. In a more profound sense, they are lent to us by our Heavenly Father. That truth ought to radically re-shape the way each of us parents. Just as I care for the property of someone else with care and attention to the true owner, so my parenting ought to focus on the true owner of my children. Where Hannah gave Samuel back to God to serve as a priest, God might ask you to steward your child in a very different manner. Perhaps he will ask you to release your expectations of your child’s financial or academic or social success. Perhaps he will ask you to steward a gift in your child that is foreign to you.

Dear Roger, I’ve read a lot in the Bible about demons. I have a lot of questions like about who they are and what they can do? Do they still exist? Can they affect me today? It seems that Jesus dealt with them often. I wonder why we don’t see the same sort of things occurring today? Sincerely, Joe Dear Joe, What demons could do in Bible times, they can still do today. Just because we cannot see their activities in no way means that they aren’t there and functioning. Let me give a simple example from the ministry of Jesus and then share why we don’t see that same sort of demonic activity today. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek (Mark 1:21-27). THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE REASONS WHY WE DON’T SEE MUCH, IF ANY, DEMONIC ACTIVITY TODAY. FIRST, WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). “There came to him a certain man … saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: … And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.’” “And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.” “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, ‘Why couldn’t we cast him out?’” “And Jesus said unto them, ‘Because of your unbelief’ (Matthew 7:14-20). Once upon a time America was known as a Christian nation of faith. “In God we trust,” is even engraved on our money. While there are isolated pockets of faith in our country, for all practical purposes, many American, including Christians live like practical atheists. Jesus can do no mighty works here because Americans have so little faith. Many of our indigenous pastor friends tell us of powerful evangelism and mighty miracles occurring in the Middle East. We talk with them about the healings, exorcisms and incredible number of conversions and baptisms occurring in their midst. Julie and I marvel at their faith. Why is their faith so strong? Because they have no where else to go except to Jesus. We Americans have all sorts of places to go besides Jesus! SECOND, WE ARE SO TRAPPED IN MATERIALISM THAT SATAN HAS NO NEED TO BRING OUT THE “BIG GUNS”. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). We all know it! America is a money-driven nation. Our nation serves the god “Mammon.” We have a hard time delving into the deeper things of the spirit when we can’t get past the surface level of materialism. THIRD, BY ITS VERY NATURE, SATAN’S WORK IS OCULTIC, OR HIDDEN. Paul was obviously concerned about the need for Christians to be on their toes concerning what Satan has up his sleeve to use against us: “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” ( 2 Corinthians 2:11 ). Unfortunately, from what I’ve observed, most Christians are woefully unaware of his schemes and are thus open to all sorts of demonic attacks. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ). “The Holy Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1). I marvel at how easily Job was deceived by Satan. Job never figured out that, even though God allowed it, Satan was the one causing all of his troubles (Job 1:20-21). ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, DEMONS ARE INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES. They are organized under Satan in hierarchical levels known as rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-12). Demons have the ability to “demonize” people. This is what the Bible identifies as demon possessed although the exact phrase, “demonic possession,” is never actually used in Scripture. People can be demonized which is another term for demonic possession (Luke 8:30). Many believe that about one-third of the angels joined in rebellion with Satan against God Almighty. These fallen angels are what the Bible refers to as demons. The Bible never says that the number was actually one-third. However, that number has been speculated by many for a variety of reasons (Isaiah 14:12-15; and 2 Peter 2:4-10). Demons are able to take shape, form and be visible to humans (Job 4:15). Demons may be exorcized, or driven out, from a possessed person. However, this may be dangerous if not followed by stringent cleaning and discipleship. Without proper spiritual care, the person might then be open for a seven-fold infestation (Matthew 12:45). Demons confuse the truth by utilizing demonic lies and half-truths (1 John 4:4). Those who worship idols and pagan gods are really worshipping and sacrificing to demons. Demons live to deceive people into worshipping themselves (1 Corinthans10:20-21). The Bible teaches that demons can inhabit animals (Matthew 8:31). During the time of the great tribulation, demons, who since the fall, have been imprisoned in the lowest level of hell, are released to wreck incredible pain and torture upon those who are not Christians (2 Peter 2:4-5; and; Revelation 9:1-7). Demons will eventually be chained along with Satan in the lowest level of hell, often called the “Abyss”, where they will be tortured for eternity (Revelation 20:10). GOD HAS GIVEN US EVERY TOOL NECESSARY TO STAND AGAINST SATAN AND WIN The best weapon we have in consistently defeating Satan is effective and constant discipleship. God freely provides the spiritual armor necessary to stand against Satan and to unveil his dastardly schemes: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Bible and prayer (Ephesian 6:1-18). “Submit to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). 1 John 4:4 is the one principle and promise we must constantly keep in play as we engage in demonic battles: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Well Joe, I hope that I’ve adequately addressed your question. May God grant you the spiritual insight and wisdom to consistently face Satan and win. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, If the devil cannot read our minds, why wouldn't we want to pray silently and not verbally? When he hears what we're praying, would our answer be thwarted or diverted? Thank you, Jennifer Dear Jennifer, Can the Devil read minds? “Of course he can!” I say, and so say others as well! Can the Devil read minds? “Of course not!” say some (like Neil Anderson of “Bondage Breaker” fame). Can the Devil read minds? “Maybe,” some respond. Can the Devil read minds? “I don’t have the slightest idea!” say most Christians. As you can see, disagreement abounds concerning whether or not Satan can read minds. As a result, I don’t want to come down too hard on opinions other than mine—nor push my position too firmly. However, while the Bible seems not absolutely clear on this issue (otherwise, most would come to agreement), I think that the Bible gives enough examples to posit that Satan can read minds. In my opinion every satanic attack and temptation concerns who will be in charge of our minds: we ourselves or Satan. Notice that God will never take control of a Christian’s mind. He wants us mentally free to make our own choices. Following Christ yields abundant life. Succumbing to Satan produces bondage and misery. By the way, according to the Bible, since Satan is neither omniscient nor omnipresent, most of his work is carried out by demonic forces under his personal direction (Ephesians 6:1-12). Now, let’s consider several relevant passages. Paul advised Timothy what to do with ornery church members in 2 Timothy 2:25-26. Note that some of these Christians were taken captive by Satan. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” Satan certainly has not rounded up these trouble making Christians like cattle and put them in a corral. He has entrapped their mind. Psychologically, the interaction among our minds, wills and emotions makes up our “selves,” or our personhoods, or the essence of who we are. We think with our minds; we choose with our wills; we feel with our emotions. Personhood, or self, is defined by having a mind, will and emotions. These three make up, to a large degree, just who we are. Study the satanic attack in Genesis three against Adam and Eve. Eve succumbed in all three areas. Adam failed in only two. Eve was deceived. Adam knew exactly what he was doing. The only way for Satan to “take our minds captive” is to “capture” our minds, wills and/or emotions—in other words, our thoughts. Certainly, our old nature tempts us to sin. Just as certainly, Satan inserts tempting thoughts in order to induce us to sin. Paul demonstrated that an interaction between our sin natures and Satan’s temptations. The context is Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7:5-6 to married couples who needed to separate for a short time. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. The “lack of self control” that Satan tempts obviously refers to getting emotionally or sexually involved with another person not their spouse. Think about it. The temptation to adultery occurs mostly in our thought life. Jesus outlined His plan to go to Jerusalem and die on a cross for the redemption of mankind (Mark 8:31). Satan devoted much of His work on derailing God’s plan. He infiltrated Peter’s thoughts and even used Peter’s own mouth in an attempt to get Jesus to reevaluate His plan: “... Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him” (Mark 8:32). Jesus was not fooled. He knew that Peter’s words were implanted into his mind by Satan himself: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33). Some members in the newly established Jerusalem Church were selling their possessions and bringing the proceeds for distribution to the poor. One member, Ananias, sold some land and lied about the selling price—a portion of which he held secretly back for himself. Obviously tempted by Satan in a mental struggle, Ananias announced to Peter that He was bringing it all to Jesus! Peter wasn’t fooled. He knew that this was Satan’s work. Luke recorded the encounter in Acts 5:3: “Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?’” Ananias dropped dead on the spot. Notice Peter’s observation that the source of the lying was Satan depositing the words of deceit directly into Ananias’ “heart.” In Scripture the term, “heart,” refers often to the mind. Yielding our thought lives to Satan risks diabolical destruction. Allow me to share a few implications if, as I believe, Satan can read our minds. I believe that Satan can read our thoughts and impute his words and ideas directly into our minds. We do not need to pray out loud for Satan to hear us rebuking and resisting him. When Satan hears what we’re praying he will attempt to confuse, frustrate, stymie and distract our prayers and thus marginalize God’s intentions for us and for our circumstances. I believe that spiritual warfare attacks are always concerned with “taking our minds captive to do Satan’s will.” Satan wants to control our minds, wills and emotions so that he can entrap us. The Lord Jesus Christ will never subjugate our minds to His control. He grants us free will to make our own decisions. This is why Jesus wants us in control of our thinking, unhindered by Satan, so that we are free to follow His leadership, Word and guidance. We must seek freedom at all costs. Remember, every area of our lives not fully submitted to the Holy Spirit is open to attack and control by a demonic spirit. We must guard our minds rigorously and remain vigilant against satanically inspired lies and deceit. Job, for example, was totally deceived. He never did figure out that it was actually Satan destroying and destructing him. Always keep in mind Paul’s warning in 1 Peter 5:8-9. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith … I was playing golf several years ago with an angry man who swore mercilessly. We met on the first tee and were paired with two others to make a foursome. His foul mouth made the first three holes so miserable that I was contemplating returning to the first tee to find another group. Then, I wondered if he were under a demonic attack. Why not? As we approached the fourth green I began to rebuke and cancel the assignments of any demonic spirits controlling and/or attacking his speech. My battle with the forces of evil occurred silently in my mind. I spoke nothing out loud. Then, just for fun—since he obviously wasn’t having any—I prayed for him to make a birdie on the next hole. He promptly birdied the next hole and then another. “I’ve never made two birdies in a row in my life!” He was so excited. He never said another curse word for the rest of the round. So, Jennifer, while opinions abound regarding Satan’s ability to read our minds, I hope that my interpretation is useful to you and to others. It has certainly served me well for the last forty years! May God bless you and thanks again for asking. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, What does the Bible say about cursing and spells? Can a person be cursed? And by cursing I mean, when someone says something bad is going to happen to you...that kind of cursing, cursing your future. Sincerely, John Dear John, In the Bible curses and spells are forbidden practices (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you." NIV To curse is to wish that bad things happen to someone or to something. On the other hand, to bless is to wish that good things happen to someone or to something. When we think of curses many of us immediately think of Voodoo. We picture someone pushing pins in little dolls which represent those they hate so that bad things can come upon them. We think of persons casting spells. However, Voodoo is much more than that. Voodoo a religion practiced chiefly in the Caribbean countries, especially in Haiti. It is a mixture of Roman Catholic rituals and the animism and magic of slaves from West Africa. In voodoo God rules over a multitude of local deities and deified ancestors, and saints, who communicate with dreams, trances, and ritual practices. We have become de-sensitized to witchcraft, curses and spells in today's culture. One Sunday evening I had this terrible sense of dread that I would never see another Sunday. The sense of death was overwhelming. Each day was agony. I was peddling furiously on the exercise bike Thursday evening when the phone rang. One of our counselors had just finished a session when a woman confessed that she and her friends in a witches' coven had prayed a death curse on me the previous Sunday night. I was overcome with relief. I now knew the spiritual battle I faced, and I knew how to handle it. I climbed off the bike, fell to my knees and prayed for the Holy Spirit to cancel any curses or demonic attacks placed against me. I asked Him to build a hedge of protection around me to protect me from any evil Satanic intention to harm my family or me. The dread disappeared. I have no doubt that we can postulate a number of theological frameworks to reconcile the experiences like those I mentioned above with Biblical truth. One well-known theological construct that guarantees Christians that they need not worry about curses and Satanic attacks because "...nothing can separate us from God's love" ( Romans 8:37-39, and "greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he who is in the world (Satan) (1 John 4:4). This theological construct assures us that God's love for us is never in doubt and that the Holy Spirit is greater than Satan. Therefore, we need not concern ourselves with things like curses and spells and Satanic interference. Upon closer examination, however, what these verses don't declare is that we are free from all of Satan's attacks and demonic curses. My theological construct (and you certainly don't have to agree with it) is that we face a constant spiritual battle. We do need to be concerned with such things. After all, Peter reminds us: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith … " (1 Peter 5:8-9). We must consider that we have a demonic adversary who has a backpack full of dirty and deceitful spiritual tools designed to inflict harm and destruction upon unsuspecting Christians. God gives us a number of spiritual tools to resist, incapacitate and frustrate Satan in his attacks against us. I will mention them momentarily. If we define "curse" as wishing bad things to come to someone or to something then I suppose that we can consider the death threats I've received over the years as curses. I own two bullet-proof vests. No one told ever me told me that I would need even one. Death threats aren't over in one week. I remember preaching for over six months in my new vest while living in fear that Bill J would make good on his threat to kill me. He was angry with me for allowing his wife to give an offering to our church. Unfortunately, I was not the only one he was cursing. One night Bill J began a murder spree that killed two men in a nearby town, and was on his way to our home to kill again when the police encircled him and he committed suicide in his car. The police found 9 guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in the front seat--and a bazooka at his house. Fortunately, this undeserved curse did not come to rest on me. Few of us have curses as dramatic as Bill J had for me and eleven others. However, let's assume that there have been times when we have hurt or disappointed people. Depending upon how much we hurt them and their ability to forgive, they may consciously or unconsciously wish harm upon us. The Bible is full of cursing. The word "curse" appears almost 200 times in the Bible. Therefore, it is a significant issue for us to address. The Bible begins with God Almighty doing a lot of cursing. We don't read three chapters into Genesis before God Almighty began to curse. He cursed Satan for tempting Adam and Eve into sin ( Genesis 3:17) . He indirectly cursed all mankind when He cursed the ground so that weeds would sprout and man would work hard and sweat profusely in order to make a living from the cursed earth (Genesis 3:17-19). In Genesis 4:10-12 God placed a curse upon Cain for killing his brother. All of these curses were well deserved. As we read through the Bible we quickly discover that God provided blessings to those who obeyed Him and cursed those who disobeyed Him. To curse is to wish that bad things happen to someone or something. God cursed only as a punishment for not obeying him. On the other hand, to bless is to wish that good things happen to someone or to something. God promised blessings to those who carefully followed His commands. Deuteronomy 27-30 is a great example of the God Who both blesses and curses. In Deuteronomy 28 God announced to Israel that if they fully obeyed His commands He would pour out great blessings upon them. They would receive the following blessings: safety in travel; healthy children; bountiful crops; increased live stock, abundant food; victory over enemies; full and overflowing barns; success with all of their endeavors, successful investments; abundance of rain; and primacy over all other nations. It doesn’t get much better than that. On the other hand, God was just as determined to bring curses upon Israel if they ignored His commandments: "However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you" ( Deuteronomy 28:15). God is not the only one in the Bible who pronounced curses. Most of the curses in the Bible involve one person cursing another. Noah cursed his son Ham when Ham peeked at him while he was drunk and naked ( Genesis 9:18-27 ). Shimei cursed and spit on David as David was fleeing Jerusalem ahead of Absalom's army of rebellion. Shimei was upset because David took over the Kingship from the family of Saul (2 Samuel 16:5-8 and 1 Kings 2:32-46). Joab wanted to kill Shimei on the spot; but, David stopped him by admitting that the curse was deserved. (By the way, David never got over the curse. As he laid dying he asked that Joab sever Shemei's "white-haired head" from his body). Intriguingly, Mrs. Job tried to get Job to curse God and die ( Job 2:9;19:17 ). Satan prompted Mrs. Job's pleading to her husband. This was Satan's backhanded attempt to force Job to curse God. Before we go any further, let me share with you the spiritual tools I use to protect myself from Satanic attacks--including curses. Perhaps you will find one or more of these practices helpful in navigating the spiritual waters of life. First and foremost I pray for God to encircle me with a spiritual hedge of protection to insulate me from any personal or demonic designs. After all, if God put a hedge around Job that Satan couldn't penetrate without God's permission, then He can erect one around me. I pray Job 1:10 : "Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." I want the protection and I want the blessing of prosperity as well. Next, I try to keep my life righteous and holy so that I open no door and give no opportunity for any curse to debilitate me in any way. I pray Proverb 26:2: "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest." Then, I try never to leave the house spiritually naked. I want to be clothed in the armor of God against any spiritual attack. I pray Ephesians 6:10-17: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that … when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions. NIV In addition, I think of people who have hurt me. Instead of wishing them evil and harm, I try to pray for their blessing and prosperity. After all, Jesus instructed us in Luke 6:28 to: "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." You see, if we curse those who've hurt us then we put ourselves in danger of Christ's judgment. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22: "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." Finally, with gratitude, I remember that sin has placed the entire world under a curse. All of us have "sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23). We know that payment for our sin is death (Romans 6:23; Deuteronomy 21:23) . Fortunately, when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, Jesus dies in our place on the cross. He takes the curse of death for us and the curse against us is now underserved. Death no longer rests upon us (Galatians 3:13). I have tried to deal with some of the practical out workings of curses. I have shared some the biblical foundations and practices regarding cursing. I hope that reading my response may give you more insight into the Biblical reality concerning curses. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, I have talked to many young pastors who say that to preach the simple message of salvation is outmoded and ineffective in our Post-Christian culture. Some say that no one will ever “come down to the front of the church” to confess their faith in Jesus or to get baptized publicly. I understand the argument that the message of the Gospel has too much “Christianese” language that is hard for the unchurched person to understand, but how do we preach to a pagan, secularized culture? I am from the older generation and I want to understand. What do you think? Sincerely, Jana   Dear Jana, Let me start by saying that being a pastor is a daunting task. It is a high calling. They are on the front lines of a spiritual battle. Pray for your pastors and support them in every way you can. I know how hard it is to be in their shoes. I’d like to use Paul’s words in Romans 1:16 to begin my answer. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” Pastors, here are my reflections: THE LIE: Sharing the gospel today in a post-truth, post-Christian culture is more difficult then sharing the gospel in the first century. THE EXCUSE: We don’t want to offend the seeker when they come to church. It’s hard enough to get them through the door anyway. THE TENSION: How to clearly preach and teach the Gospel and reach those who have no understanding of God, biblical truth or moral values. Let’s begin with THE LIE. Is the culture of today really that different from biblical times? The Roman world was incredibly perverse and godless. Christians were crucified and incinerated. Every kind of sexual immorality was practiced: homosexuality, bestiality, pornography, prostitution and child molestation. The list goes on and on. The ancient world was completely pagan. Christians were considered to be traitors to the Roman Empire, freaks and destroyers of the Jewish faith. They were also considered crazy for believing someone could return from the dead. Our current society is much the same as its ancient counterpart. I often explain the process of leading someone to Christ as a continuum. 1 is complete ignorance of the Bible or spiritual concepts. 10 is a committed, mature disciple of Christ. Generations ago, most non-Christians had a cursory knowledge of the Bible, were nominal church attenders and had a westernized view of God. They were considered to be a 5. Now, most non-believers are at negative 10. They don’t know any Bible, they have no idea of who God or Jesus is, and they certainly don’t know words like “sin, salvation and repentance.” Preaching to today’s non-believer often must begin with 1. But if we don’t reach 10, we have failed our mission, and our Savior. The excuse: We don’t want to offend the seeker when they come to church, or alienate our non-Christian friends. Greg Stier, student evangelism pastor, poses an intriguing question: “Why are we so afraid to share our faith? I t’s like sharing with a person who is broke that they just won the Lottery (only better!) It’s like sharing with a cancer victim that you just discovered the cure for cancer (only better!) It’s the greatest love story in the history of the world! It’s like telling an orphan that they’ve been adopted into the family of the richest person in the universe (well, that’s exactly what it is.)” What Good News! But let’s not be naïve. Just because we preach the Good News of Christ does not mean unbelievers will accept it. The Bible teaches that people will reject the message of Christ because Satan has blinded their minds. We wage war for people’s souls. “If the Good News which we tell is not clear to some people, it is because they are lost. They do not believe.” 2 Corinthians 4:3 David Kinnaman, president of Barna.org. relates his insights from their research: “We must persuade younger Christians that evangelism is an essential practice of following Jesus, The data show enormous ambivalence among Millennials, in particular, about the calling to share their faith with others.” “Cultivating deep, steady, resilient Christian conviction is difficult in a world of ‘you do you’ and ‘don’t criticize anyone’s life choices’ and emotivism, the feelings-first priority that our culture makes a way of life. As much as ever, evangelism isn’t just about saving the unsaved, but reminding ourselves that this stuff matters, that the Bible is trustworthy and that Jesus changes everything.” THE TENSION: The current “seeker-friendly” church philosophy is this: bring a seeker in the door, get them into a small group and then share the message of Christ with them in the context of personal relationships with believers. There are three possible problems with this philosophy. The first, most attenders never go to a small group, so they leave church never knowing the gospel. Second, small group leaders are not always equipped to lead and disciple others. Third, Christians today seldom know how to lead a person to Christ. My wife and I often teach a Navigators 2:7 group in our church. I love this program because it teaches a new believer how to grow and culminates in “on the job” training to share the message of Christ with others. Shepherds, our church “flock” must be carefully and intentionally trained to make the hand-off. They must understand the Gospel to take their lost sheep from 1 to 10. Also the Bible clearly teaches that a new believer must give a public confession of faith. Jesus’ final commission to His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,  baptizing  them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19. Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. It is designed to picture the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ before men. Many churches are making baptism a private experience just with the family, much like christening was in the past. Larger churches may eliminate this practice because service time is limited, so baptism before the congregation isn’t feasible. Others don’t baptize because few attenders have come to Christ. I have attended many creative churches who hold their baptism services in an atrium, nearby swimming pool, or plan baptism services in the sanctuary at a time other than Sunday morning. So many creative options. Jesus was baptized in a muddy river. Baptism is public! Professing Jesus before men is not optional. I also love when the new Christian actually gives his or her testimony before being baptized. “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33. Let me be clear. I have many dear pastor friends who live in closed countries. Professing Christianity openly can be a death sentence. Yet they preach courageously, God works powerfully and the church is flourishes. The moment we think we must improve, modify or preach God’s Word selectively is the day we should step out of the pulpit. No amount of humor, stories (although I think they are essential to engage the listener) or technology will substitute for teaching and preaching the Bible. The Word of God changes lives. We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel. Pastor Brandon Hilgeman writes: “Preaching the Gospel in every sermon is far more than something we tack on to the end of a sermon with an altar call; it is the very foundation of Christian belief.  The Gospel is the key to interpreting Scripture. The Gospel is the central theme of the apostles’ preaching. The Gospel saves us from the trap of works righteousness. The Gospel applies to every area of our lives and will never get boring. No sermon is complete until the Gospel has been preached.” “Preach with authority. The authority for us is the Word of God. Preach with simplicity . . . Preach with urgency . . . heaven and hell are at stake. Preach for a decision.”-Billy Graham

Dear Roger, I would like to know about my unsaved family and friends. Will I know they’re missing heaven? – Jack Wilson Dear Jack, You may have asked the unanswerable question. Let’s see if we can clearly understand what you are asking? Simply stated: “Will we have memories of people who are not in heaven?” Here is a clarification as I see it. You are saved and go to heaven. Your unsaved friend has rejected Jesus and is on his/her way to hell. We normally assume that we will remember our family members and friends who died without Jesus, and it will break our hearts to see them in punishment. However, that’s not what the question is asking. The question asks, “Will we even remember that we had friends and family. In other words, they are missing and we don’t realize they’re missing because we don’t remember them at all? Let’s examine some thoughts and passages that may apply. We probably won’t see our unsaved loved ones. The  Bible  doesn't specifically say that people in heaven  cannot  look down on loved ones in hell, so we can't be dogmatic. However, it is unlikely that they can. People in heaven are likely preoccupied with other things such as worshipping God and enjoying the glories of heaven. “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind…” ( Isaiah 65:17 ). Revelation 21  speaks to this issue. Before the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth, we may or may not know about the existence of our lost friends in hell. However, after the New Creation is completed, all memory of them will be gone. We will not even know that they are missing. Nothing that has gone on before the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth will be remembered  after  the New Creation appears. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the  first things  have passed away.” ( Revelation 21:4 ) However, the same passage may reveal we may see our unsaved loved ones in hell: “Now the dwelling place of God is with men and he will live with them... He will wipe away every tear from their eyes .There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I’m making everything new!” ( Revelation 21:3-4 ) This same passage may prove that the tears of the saints are wiped away because they  do  remember those who did not receive Christ. According to this passage, we will most probably see our unsaved friends in heaven until God wipes away our tears. When the tears are gone there’s no more weeping and no more pain and that may be because God wipes away all remembrances of our unsaved relatives. Some will cite the story of Lazarus to affirm we can see unsaved loved ones in Heaven. The problem with using this passage in  Luke 16:19-31  is that the verses state that the Rich Man can see Lazarus, but the story never indicates that Lazarus can see him. We will certainly have a renewed perspective on all things in heaven. We will be untainted by sin. Our earthly attachments will be displaced by or new future deeper relationship to God and others. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.” ( 1 Cor. 13:12 ) Finally, we must trust in the character of God. By faith, we must rest in His infinite goodness, compassion and mercy. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?” ( Rom. 11:33-34 ) Let’s focus on pointing our loved ones to Christ. While it is delightful to focus on the positive dynamics of heaven, we should primarily focus on how we can point our loved ones to faith in Christ—so that they  will  be with us in Heaven. Guiding our friends and loved ones to faith in Christ can be a touchy thing. Peter advises, “”Be sure you live a godly life before your lost family, friends and neighbors as a lovely manifestation of the life of Christ.” In this passage Peter is addressing husbands and wives; however, the principle here works both ways. “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over, without talk, by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and attractiveness of your life.” ( 1 Peter 3:1-2 ) So often, evangelism with our friends and neighbors degenerates into an argument or theological discussion that leads to disagreement, hurt, anger and pain. Don’t argue. Don’t be pushy. Listen to what they have to say and answer with humility. When you see them hurting and in pain, comfort them. Very few things open a heart like receiving comfort when you are hurting. Tell them how sorry you are that they are hurting. Put your arm around them and say comforting words. Comfort produces lasting bonds of love and openness. Jesus said in  Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  When you see your friends mourning, comfort them. Personally, when I see hurt, I comfort it. I suggest that you do things like reading your Bible where they can see you. Make it obvious how much your Bible means to you. Live before them a life of love and compassion and they are more likely to open up and listen to you. Don’t let a fear of appearing “preachy” keep you away from talking about Jesus. Using the story in John eight of Jesus’ restoration of the woman caught in the act of adultery gives a hopeful sense of picking up the pieces and starting over again. Using  Philippians 4:10-13  about the God who pours in the power through Jesus Christ to give victory in every situation can be helpful and appropriate. Remember that Jesus dealt carefully and lovingly with those who he was trying to reach. He didn’t yell at them or spend time judging them he loved and served them. In fact, there’s only one place in the Bible where Jesus candidly shares his character and personality. “He said, for I am gentle and humble of heart” ( Matthew 11:29 ) . It’s good to remember that we really don’t know what’s going on in a person’s heart just before they die. Only God knows that. Perhaps, the Holy Spirit has done a work of grace in someone's soul at the last moment before they die. They may have been aware of the hours leading up to their death and cried out to God for salvation. The thief on the cross proves that "deathbed conversion" is certainly possible. And if someone is unable to speak, or too weak to respond, those around them would not know of that conversion. We may be surprised and delighted to one day see them in the presence of Christ. Rejoice! Our saved friends, neighbors, and loved ones will all be with us in heaven. We will see and know them all. “Then the angel said to me:” Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” ( Revelation 19:9 ) “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” ( 1 Cor. 13:12 ) Jack, sort out the passages that discuss who are the souls, the martyrs, those who would be slain in  Revelation 6:9 , the “cloud of witnesses” in  Hebrews 12:1 , and then consider my previous thoughts and perhaps you can finally reach some conclusions which satisfy you. Personally, I think that those Christians who are in heaven before the creation of the new earth and new heaven will know the status of their unsaved family and friends. After the completion of the New Heaven And Earth they will be remembered no more. I hope this helps. Let me know what you think. Love, Roger

Dear Roger,  Does the Bible address climate change? What does it say about taking care of the planet? Sincerely, Jamie Dear Jamie, Among several environmental and sociological causes, climate change involves the man-made introduction of green-house emission gases (mostly carbon dioxide) into our atmosphere. These gases are rapidly raising global temperatures. Once initiated, the process really can't be stopped. The damage done can't be undone. From studying the data and comparing it with present rates, and recognizing humankind's difficulty in halting all carbon emissions, temperatures may continue to rise unimpeded with devastating results. Imagine that you are out in space looking back at the circle of the earth. The breathable height level of our atmosphere is 2.6 miles thick. You think to yourself, "That's not much air." You're right. Our atmosphere is quite thin. Proportionally, our earth doesn't have much air. We are fast replacing oxygen and nitrogen with global-warming carbon dioxide. Earth May Become Like Venus I'll tell you what I think is eventually going to happen to earth. We will be Venus. I reached this conclusion when the first Venus probes melted as they penetrated Venus' atmosphere and arced for a landing several decades ago. Before destruction, the Landers measured Venus' atmosphere at 840 degrees Fahrenheit. The atmosphere of Venus hovers around 100% Carbon Dioxide. It is uninhabitable. We are following in Venus' footsteps. This should not surprise us. Second Peter 3:7-10 reminds us that the end of the world will be by fiery destruction. The Bible declares that God made Earth as a perfect creation. He delegated to men and women the responsibility of caring for it. Then God said, “Let us make mankind...so that they may rule over the fish...and the birds...the livestock...and the wild animals..." God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it" ( Genesis 1:26-28 ). Unfortunately, humankind is not doing a very good job. Of course, what can we expect when the entire Creation was ruined at the Fall of  Adam and Eve  into sin. The Lord Will One Day Redeem His Creation One day the Lord will redeem His creation; but, until then, the Creation is groaning in pain ( Romans 8:19-22 ). Humankind is in the process of doubling the "pain." The temperature of our world has been approximately constant for the past 60 million years. Occasionally a cooling (Ice Age) period will occur caused by fluctuations of earth's orbit or by slight variations in the energy outputs of the sun. Now, for the first time in history the global temperature is no longer constant. It is steadily increasing. The global warming phenomena can be traced to the 1880s and the initiation of the Industrial Age. Humans Are Causing Global Warming Human-caused temperature increase is already having a global effect. Heat waves, floods, and destructive forest fires are having effects. Tornados are occurring in mountainous regions where they never could have developed in the past. Droughts are occurring in places never before afflicted and they are longer and more widespread. Warming oceans drive changing weather patterns, including more severe and frequent hurricane activity. Higher temperatures put more energy into storms which sharply increases their intensity and destructiveness. Melting ice is decimating both polar regions resulting in loss of habitat for polar animals with the result of a thinning out of the ranks. The release of massive amounts of fresh water results in higher sea levels and increased flooding in coastal regions. Many animal species (elephants, birds, and butterflies for example) are becoming extinct as temperatures increase, mostly through the loss of habitat. Revelation Details the Destruction The next time you read the Book of Revelation, notice carefully the destruction of the earth: The opening of the Seven Seals portend man's destruction upon man. The Seven Trumpets describe Satan's destruction of both man and earth. The Seven Bowls reveal God's Wrath on man and earth. We find that during the last days of Revelation, rivers, atmosphere, vegetation, animals, sea creatures and humans are destroyed by the millions. Thousands of square miles of earth are covered with nuclear radiation. Many years pass before these areas are again habitable. It is no wonder that God will have to make a new earth and start over ( Revelation 20 ). We Can Care and Recycle, But We Must Also Repent To be the best stewards of the earth we can, we must make our homes more green. I applaud endeavors to be more energy-efficient. Programs like "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" are absolutely essential. Hybrid gas/electric cars will be a great help in reducing emissions, along with every other measure to protect our natural resources. Using water wisely is laudable. Unfortunately, there is one problem with all of these endeavors. The basic nature of man is to be greedy and selfish. If our hearts change, we will become wise and responsible. Let's do what we can while we can! God clearly speaks about our response to caring for His creation by prayer and repentance: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." ( 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 ) Dr. Russell Moore  states: "The earth is longing for something, the apostle Paul tells us, longing for a Man, the Lord Jesus, who unseats the dragon despot of this present darkness. The earth is groaning for us, “for the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19). That’s why gospel proclamation is the most farsighted form of environmental activism. The earth is delivered when her rulers are raised from the death curse, when all things once again are under their feet, in Christ." Sincerely, Roger

This is a guest post from Tom Terry. How do I relate to non-Christians? Every few days my youngest daughter, Whitney comes to me with a series of written questions about the Bible. We review the passages together, discuss her understanding of the issues being presented, and then I share with her my interpretation of the events in the narrative. Something that takes place regularly has me thinking about our culture. You see, there are things she is asking about in the Gospels that from my perspective are very self-explanatory. They should be easy to understand. But when she brings me her questions it is apparent to me that she does not understand some of what she is reading. This was bewildering at first because Whitney is no idiot, not by a long shot. She is a bright, intelligent, creative, and observant person. Very often she gets the best of me. So when she has difficulty understanding what I think are simple passages of scripture I scratch my head and wonder what’s going on. Especially when I consider her background. She grew up in a Christian home, but not just any Christian home, she’s grown up in a missionary’s home. She took schooling that taught the Bible. She’s heard her father teach and once in a while fill a pulpit for a morning. So what’s the problem? As we went through today’s questions it hit me: She’s not in a Christian culture. This is not to be critical of my daughter. Everything I’ve praised about her is true. But what I’ve learned is that just because she grew up the way she did doesn’t necessarily mean she will understand the scripture in its fulness at her current level of spiritual growth. First, I have to keep in mind that I’ve been in the scriptures for 30 years, but my daughter has not. She may be a smart adult but she’s not seasoned in the scriptures at my level. This means I must accommodate myself to her understanding. I don’t know everything but I certainly know more than my daughters do, who are young in Christ compared to me or my wife. What to me is basic is instead more advanced to someone else who hasn’t known Jesus very long. I have to keep this in mind. I encountered this with another friend I was helping to disciple. She was a very bright student, but when it came to the basics her interpretations were sometimes way off. Second, when reading the New Testament a recent or young believer in Christ will often not understand the context of what he or she is reading because the Bible was written in an ancient, foreign culture. Some of the references in the New Testament require a good understanding of the Old Testament. Jesus didn’t appear in a vacuum. He came to a people entrenched in a culture that was formed by the Mosaic Law and the Prophets. The Old Testament isn’t her strong suit (yet), so many of the New Testament references go past her. This isn’t sin or bad, it’s just a matter of familiarizing oneself with the scripture and that takes time. When I say that she’s not in a Christian culture I mean that she doesn’t yet have all of the knowledge she needs to self-interpret most of scripture. That doesn’t mean something is wrong with her. It simply means that she’s in a learning process just as any student would be learning any subject. Third, like anyone from any culture, Whitney is naturally interpreting scripture through the lens of the culture she is most familiar with. In other words, she filters everything through a set of preconceived notions that guide her understanding. We all have these filters. The problem is that the Bible was not written using our set of modern 21st century filters. Its text is ancient. Don’t misunderstand me, I do not mean to say that scripture is not applicable for us today. In fact, the scripture is wholly applicable to our lives, but we have to appropriate it in a way that addresses our modern issues without misunderstanding its ancient meaning. That takes time. Sometimes it takes a long time. Now let me apply my discovery to our Christian practices today. When we discuss the scripture or contemporary issues in light of the Bible there are some assumptions we should put aside and replace them with new insight. (1) When discussing the scripture with someone who knows little or nothing about Christian things we must accommodate their level of understanding by speaking in a way which helps them to identify with the Bible at a practical level. This does not mean that people are dumb. It simply means that they are coming to the Bible as something new in their lives and therefore it takes time to help disciple them to a level where they can get the meaning by themselves. (2) We can discuss scripture using “Christianese” but some of our meaning will be lost. Take time to describe things in a more neutral or simple fashion and let your hearer put things together in his or her own time. Eventually he or she will grasp what they need to know. They don’t need to know it all, they just need what they need for the need of the moment. Then, slowly, move on from there. (3) Try your best not to assume that the references you are using, even from the scripture, are automatically understood by your hearer. Here’s a quick example: What does it mean for a person to be redeemed? Do we mean that a person’s mistaken actions can be turned into something good? Do we mean that a person makes a payment to purchase something? Do we mean that there is an exchange of value to buy a slave? Do we mean that a widow is to be acquired by her brother-in-law as a wife? Is the New Testament concept of redemption related to any of these or does it mean something else? Don’t assume your hearer will automatically understand without taking the time to unpack the meaning for him or her. The New Testament, and especially the Gospels, use terms that only have their proper meaning by understanding their roots in the Old Testament. Take time to explain, but don’t overdo it. There is so much richness in the scripture that a person can sometimes be overwhelmed. We are no longer in a Christian culture. Many of the things we might say as Christians are foreign concepts to our hearers. Learning how to accommodate ourselves to our audience is an important part of fulfilling our mission to make disciples. Just as someone was patient and accommodating with you, return the favor to the ones you are helping. It may take time, but they will understand, and learn, and grow to become all that God intends for them to be. guywithabible.com  Used by permission.